Muslim American Heritage

As we enter the fall season, we at MALA are lookin g back on a challenging year.  Like many organizations, MALA has continued to feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, as we attempt to navigate a world in which human connection is increasingly being facilitated in the virtual space.  However, as society begins to open up again, we are excited to be collecting oral histories in person once again.  

This fall, MALA is re-engaging with our New York constituency and working to collect new and exciting stories from Muslim American communities in the region.  In support of this effort, we are also overhauling some of the tools of our trade: in order to record and produce these stories, MALA will need to update our recording devices to ensure that we are using equipment that is reliable, accurate, and efficient.

In addition to audio recordings, MALA is working to develop a space to record oral histories using video footage of storytellers.  This approach will allow those who engage with MALA's oral histories to experience a closer connection with storytellers and will allow stories to be shared across a broader range of media.  

MALA has always been dedicated not only to collecting oral histories, but to ensuring that those stories are shared widely, ensuring that they live on as a resource for learning, cultural connection, and community building.  By supporting Muslim American Journeys, you help to make these stories more accessible than ever before, and ensure that Muslim narratives remain a part of the American story for years to come.  

This month, MALA is excited to announce an all new collection of stories within the Muslim American Journeys project titled, Noble Stories of Resilience, which focuses on the stories of Afghan refugees who have recently resettled in the United States after fleeing the Taliban.  These powerful written narratives share stories of unimaginable hardship, struggle, redemption, and resilience, shedding light on the unique experiences of Afghan refugees and their families.  

This project began at the beginning of 2022, as the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan worstened and a new wave of refugees from the region arrived in the United States.  At MALA, we felt it was crucial to use our storytelling platform to help share the stories of some of these individuals.  Our hope is that these stories provide comfort and catharsis for the storytellers, and a source of understanding, empathy, and global awareness for those who read and engage with them.  Muslim American Journeys has always existed as a platform which seeks to build bridges of understanding, education, and compassion, and we are honored to continue to represent these values through Noble Stories of Resilience.  

The new collection will launch during the third week of June 2022, coinciding with the UN's World Refugee Day.  Until then, all gifts received through the Muslim American Journeys campaign will go towards funding the expansion of this collection, as we work to produce and promote these important stories. We thank you graciously for your continued support, and for your allyship as we continue to build a more compassionate, more understanding world together.  

Sincerely,

Team MALA